3,344 research outputs found
Effect of Extraction on Wood Density of Western Hemlock (Tsuga Heterophylla (RAF.) SARG.)
Extractives can account for between 1 to 20% of the oven-dry weight of wood of various tree species and can influence wood density values appreciably. Removing these chemical deposits (extraction) in wood samples can help establish a consistent baseline for comparing wood densities where extractives are expected to differ between sample parameters. Although western hemlock is a very important timber species in the Pacific Northwest, laboratories that determine wood density may or may not remove extractives prior to density assessment. Wood density values were compared before and after extraction for 19 young-growth western hemlock samples. Extraction was performed using 95% ethyl alcohol-toluene solutions. Ring density values averaged 0.045 g/cm3 lower for extracted samples compared to unextracted samples across rings. Slightly higher amounts of extractives were found at rings near the pith; however, a general consistency in extractive content existed among samples and along the radial profile
Influence of symmetry and Coulomb-correlation effects on the optical properties of nitride quantum dots
The electronic and optical properties of self-assembled InN/GaN quantum dots
(QDs) are investigated by means of a tight-binding model combined with
configuration interaction calculations. Tight-binding single particle wave
functions are used as a basis for computing Coulomb and dipole matrix elements.
Within this framework, we analyze multi-exciton emission spectra for two
different sizes of a lens-shaped InN/GaN QD with wurtzite crystal structure.
The impact of the symmetry of the involved electron and hole one-particle
states on the optical spectra is discussed in detail. Furthermore we show how
the characteristic features of the spectra can be interpreted using a
simplified Hamiltonian which provides analytical results for the interacting
multi-exciton complexes. We predict a vanishing exciton and biexciton ground
state emission for small lens-shaped InN/GaN QDs. For larger systems we report
a bright ground state emission but with drastically reduced oscillator
strengths caused by the quantum confined Stark effect.Comment: 15 pages, 17 figure
Assessment of Swedish snus for tobacco harm reduction: an epidemiological modelling study
BACKGROUND: Swedish snus is a smokeless tobacco product that has been suggested as a tobacco harm reduction product. Our aim was to assess the potential population health effects of snus. METHODS: We assessed the potential population health effects of snus in Australia with multistate life tables to estimate the difference in health-adjusted life expectancy between people who have never been smokers and various trajectories of tobacco use, including switching from smoking to snus use; and the potential for net population-level harm given different rates of snus uptake by current smokers, ex-smokers, and people who have never smoked. FINDINGS: There was little difference in health-adjusted life expectancy between smokers who quit all tobacco and smokers who switch to snus (difference of 0.1-0.3 years for men and 0.1-0.4 years for women). For net harm to occur, 14-25 ex-smokers would have to start using snus to offset the health gain from every smoker who switched to snus rather than continuing to smoke. Likewise, 14-25 people who have never smoked would need to start using snus to offset the health gain from every new tobacco user who used snus rather than smoking. INTERPRETATION: Current smokers who switch to using snus rather than continuing to smoke can realise substantial health gains. Snus could produce a net benefit to health at the population level if it is adopted in sufficient numbers by inveterate smokers. Relaxing current restrictions on the sale of snus is more likely to produce a net benefit than harm, with the size of the benefit dependent on how many inveterate smokers switch to snus
Criterion for traffic phases in single vehicle data and empirical test of a microscopic three-phase traffic theory
A microscopic criterion for distinguishing synchronized flow and wide moving
jam phases in single vehicle data measured at a single freeway location is
presented. Empirical local congested traffic states in single vehicle data
measured on different days are classified into synchronized flow states and
states consisting of synchronized flow and wide moving jam(s). Then empirical
microscopic characteristics for these different local congested traffic states
are studied. Using these characteristics and empirical spatiotemporal
macroscopic traffic phenomena, an empirical test of a microscopic three-phase
traffic flow theory is performed. Simulations show that the microscopic
criterion and macroscopic spatiotemporal objective criteria lead to the same
identification of the synchronized flow and wide moving jam phases in congested
traffic. It is found that microscopic three-phase traffic models can explain
both microscopic and macroscopic empirical congested pattern features. It is
obtained that microscopic distributions for vehicle speed difference as well as
fundamental diagrams and speed correlation functions can depend on the spatial
co-ordinate considerably. It turns out that microscopic optimal velocity (OV)
functions and time headway distributions are not necessarily qualitatively
different, even if local congested traffic states are qualitatively different.
The reason for this is that important spatiotemporal features of congested
traffic patterns are it lost in these as well as in many other macroscopic and
microscopic traffic characteristics, which are widely used as the empirical
basis for a test of traffic flow models, specifically, cellular automata
traffic flow models.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figure
Tourism policy and destination marketing in developing countries: the chain of influence
Tourism marketers including destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and international tour operators play a pivotal role in destination marketing, especially in creating destination images. These images, apparent in tourist brochures, are designed to influence tourist decision-making and behaviour. This paper proposes the concept of a “chain of influence” in destination marketing and image-making, suggesting that the content of marketing materials is influenced by the priorities of those who design these materials, e.g. tour operators and DMOs. A content analysis of 2,000 pictures from DMO and tour operator brochures revealed synergies and divergence between these marketers. The brochure content was then compared to the South African tourism policy, concluding that the dominant factor in the chain of influence in the South African context is in fact its organic image
Deterministic approach to microscopic three-phase traffic theory
Two different deterministic microscopic traffic flow models, which are in the
context of the Kerner's there-phase traffic theory, are introduced. In an
acceleration time delay model (ATD-model), different time delays in driver
acceleration associated with driver behaviour in various local driving
situations are explicitly incorporated into the model. Vehicle acceleration
depends on local traffic situation, i.e., whether a driver is within the free
flow, or synchronized flow, or else wide moving jam traffic phase. In a speed
adaptation model (SA-model), vehicle speed adaptation occurs in synchronized
flow depending on driving conditions. It is found that the ATD- and SA-models
show spatiotemporal congested traffic patterns that are adequate with empirical
results. In the ATD- and SA-models, the onset of congestion in free flow at a
freeway bottleneck is associated with a first-order phase transition from free
flow to synchronized flow; moving jams emerge spontaneously in synchronized
flow only. Differences between the ATD- and SA-models are studied. A comparison
of the ATD- and SA-models with stochastic models in the context of three phase
traffic theory is made. A critical discussion of earlier traffic flow theories
and models based on the fundamental diagram approach is presented.Comment: 40 pages, 14 figure
The DEAR experiment on DAΦNE
DEAR is one of the first experiments at the new DAΦNE Ø-factory at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell'INFN. The objective of the DEAR experiment is to perform a precision measurement of the strong interaction shifts and widths of the K-series lines in kaonic hydrogen and the first observation of the same quantities in kaonic deuterium. The aim is to obtain a precise determination of the isospin-dependent kaon-nucleon scattering lengths which will represent a breakthrough in KN low-energy phenomenology and will allow us to determine the kaon-nucleon sigma terms. The sigma terms give a direct measurement of chiral symmetry breaking and are connected to the strangeness content of the proton. First results on background measurements with the DEAR NTP setup installed on DAΦNE are reported
X-ray emission during the muonic cascade in hydrogen
We report our investigations of X rays emitted during the muonic cascade in
hydrogen employing charge coupled devices as X-ray detectors. The density
dependence of the relative X-ray yields for the muonic hydrogen lines (K_alpha,
K_beta, K_gamma) has been measured at densities between 0.00115 and 0.97 of
liquid hydrogen density. In this density region collisional processes dominate
the cascade down to low energy levels. A comparison with recent calculations is
given in order to demonstrate the influence of Coulomb deexcitation.Comment: 5 pages, Tex, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter
Intelligent Controlling Simulation of Traffic Flow in a Small City Network
We propose a two dimensional probabilistic cellular automata for the
description of traffic flow in a small city network composed of two
intersections. The traffic in the network is controlled by a set of traffic
lights which can be operated both in fixed-time and a traffic responsive
manner. Vehicular dynamics is simulated and the total delay experienced by the
traffic is evaluated within specified time intervals. We investigate both
decentralized and centralized traffic responsive schemes and in particular
discuss the implementation of the {\it green-wave} strategy. Our investigations
prove that the network delay strongly depends on the signalisation strategy. We
show that in some traffic conditions, the application of the green-wave scheme
may destructively lead to the increment of the global delay.Comment: 8 pages, 10 eps figures, Revte
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